Table of Contents

This study is maintained and distributed by the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), the aging program within ICPSR. NACDA
is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Heath (NIH).

The Matlab Health and Socioeconomic Survey (MHSS) was
carried out in 1996 to examine health status, health care utilization,
social network characteristics, and the impact of community services
and infrastructure with respect to adults and elderly persons residing
in the Matlab region of rural Bangladesh. The MHSS Household
questionnaire was administered to three separate samples. The Main
Household Data (MHD) sample (Parts 1-84), which was the primary
sample, consisted of 4,364 households clustered in 2,687 baris, or
residential compounds. The Determinants of Natural Fertility Survey
(DNSF) sample (Parts 85-167) was made up of follow-up groups of 1,789
households of 2,441 women who were interviewed about their health and
pregnancy status in the mid-1970s. The Outmigrant (MIG) sample (Parts
168-250) consisted of 552 persons who had left and not returned to the
original household of the primary (MHD) sample between 1982 and 1996,
the start of the MHSS. The Household questionnaire elicited
information on demographic characteristics of respondents such as
gender, age, marital status, information on non-coresident spouses,
religion, education, main occupational activity, and housing
structure, including size, materials, availability of electricity,
home ownership, and rent. Questions were also posed regarding
household economy and an inventory of household consumption was taken,
including the value of foods purchased and self-produced in the last
week, purchases of personal care and household items during the last
month, and purchases of durable goods in the last year. Respondents
were also asked about
the location of their health care providers and the
travel time and travel cost to see them. Retrospective life histories
were gathered from women regarding children ever born, pregnancy
outcomes and infant feeding, and contraceptive knowledge and use,
along with information about menarche and menopause. In addition,
detailed pregnancy histories from women aged 50 years and older were
collected. Information regarding children under age 15 was gathered by
proxy regarding the child's educational history, morbidity,
medications, and inpatient and outpatient care utilization. Results of
physical performance and cognitive ability tests as well as
anthropometric measures were recorded. The Community/Provider
questionnaire (Parts 251-412) collected data on community
infrastructure and services from 141 villages of the primary (MHD)
sample respondents, along with detailed information about 254
health/family planning providers and 100 educational
facilities. Questions on the Community questionnaire covered
availability of facilities, public transportation, characteristics of
roads, price of fuel, water sources and sanitation, agriculture and
industry, credit institutions, migration, and historical
events. Health providers from Thana health complexes (THCs) and family
welfare centers (FWCs), village doctors, pharmacists, traditional
healers, and trained/traditional birth attendants were asked about
their education and training, services/activities, equipment and
supplies, and medicines, along with the historical development of the
facility. Also collected were direct observations from interviewers
regarding the cleanliness of the examination rooms, laboratories, and
vaccine storage rooms. In addition, hypothetical patient vignettes
were presented in which providers were tested as to their knowledge of
processes. Information also was obtained from primary and secondary
schools on characteristics such as date of establishment, school
hours, administration and religious orientation, admission fees,
tuition, number of students and teachers, building attributes, whether
particular facilities (gymnasium, library) were available at the
school, and whether the school was used by other institutions. Part
418, Additional Household and Individual Weights for Primary (MHD)
Sample, contains additional weights for the primary sample.

The Matlab Health and Socioeconomic Survey (MHSS) was
carried out in 1996 to examine health status, health care utilization,
social network characteristics, and the impact of community services
and infrastructure with respect to adults and elderly persons residing
in the Matlab region of rural Bangladesh. The MHSS Household
questionnaire was administered to three separate samples. The Main
Household Data (MHD) sample (Parts 1-84), which was the primary
sample, consisted of 4,364 households clustered in 2,687 baris, or
residential compounds. The Determinants of Natural Fertility Survey
(DNSF) sample (Parts 85-167) was made up of follow-up groups of 1,789
households of 2,441 women who were interviewed about their health and
pregnancy status in the mid-1970s. The Outmigrant (MIG) sample (Parts
168-250) consisted of 552 persons who had left and not returned to the
original household of the primary (MHD) sample between 1982 and 1996,
the start of the MHSS. The Household questionnaire elicited
information on demographic characteristics of respondents such as
gender, age, marital status, information on non-coresident spouses,
religion, education, main occupational activity, and housing
structure, including size, materials, availability of electricity,
home ownership, and rent. Questions were also posed regarding
household economy and an inventory of household consumption was taken,
including the value of foods purchased and self-produced in the last
week, purchases of personal care and household items during the last
month, and purchases of durable goods in the last year. Respondents
were also asked about
the location of their health care providers and the
travel time and travel cost to see them. Retrospective life histories
were gathered from women regarding children ever born, pregnancy
outcomes and infant feeding, and contraceptive knowledge and use,
along with information about menarche and menopause. In addition,
detailed pregnancy histories from women aged 50 years and older were
collected. Information regarding children under age 15 was gathered by
proxy regarding the child's educational history, morbidity,
medications, and inpatient and outpatient care utilization. Results of
physical performance and cognitive ability tests as well as
anthropometric measures were recorded. The Community/Provider
questionnaire (Parts 251-412) collected data on community
infrastructure and services from 141 villages of the primary (MHD)
sample respondents, along with detailed information about 254
health/family planning providers and 100 educational
facilities. Questions on the Community questionnaire covered
availability of facilities, public transportation, characteristics of
roads, price of fuel, water sources and sanitation, agriculture and
industry, credit institutions, migration, and historical
events. Health providers from Thana health complexes (THCs) and family
welfare centers (FWCs), village doctors, pharmacists, traditional
healers, and trained/traditional birth attendants were asked about
their education and training, services/activities, equipment and
supplies, and medicines, along with the historical development of the
facility. Also collected were direct observations from interviewers
regarding the cleanliness of the examination rooms, laboratories, and
vaccine storage rooms. In addition, hypothetical patient vignettes
were presented in which providers were tested as to their knowledge of
processes. Information also was obtained from primary and secondary
schools on characteristics such as date of establishment, school
hours, administration and religious orientation, admission fees,
tuition, number of students and teachers, building attributes, whether
particular facilities (gymnasium, library) were available at the
school, and whether the school was used by other institutions. Part
418, Additional Household and Individual Weights for Primary (MHD)
Sample, contains additional weights for the primary sample.

Access Notes

The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public.
Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.

Dataset(s)

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